Our purpose is to glorify God by educating and equipping college students to become World Christians who fulfill their responsibility in World EvangelizationI was looking for some statistics I'd heard during their presentation that have stuck with me ever since. The stats have to do with how much money actually goes toward missions and more specifically toward reaching unreached people groups. The numbers are quite staggering! You can read more about it in the article, but here's a quick breakdown.
Furthermore, when you take into account where missionaries are going (or being sent, as the case may be), you'll notice a huge discrepancy. This map from another article on the Traveling Team's website shows where the people are versus where the missionaries are going (click for larger version).
- Globally, about 1.2 billion people call themselves Christians and share their faith.
- 500 million of these are committed to the mandate to "bless all peoples." They are commonly called "Great Commission Christians."
- About 100 million evangelical believers worldwide are young people.
- An estimated 100,000 missionaries are needed to reach the remaining unreached people groups. That's just 0.1% (one-tenth of one percent) of the young evangelical believers.
- Worldwide, Great Commission Christians earn about $2.5 trillion in disposable income. That's $5,000 per GCC. [The article doesn't say if this is annual disposable income, though I assume it is].
- About $8 billion is given annually for missions. That's 0.33% (one-third of one percent) of the GCC's disposable income.
- To send 100,000 missionaries to reach the remaining unreached people groups would cost about $1.25 billion more, or about $9.25 billion. $1.25 billion is only 0.05% (one-twentieth of one percent) more than what is currently being given for missions.
My guess is that the dark blue, purple, and gray countries match up well with populations that are considered unreached. See this map from the Joshua Project website for a comparison.Here is another diagram that really puts things into perspective.
So, applying the math above, if it costs $9.25 billion to send 100,000 missionaries to the unreached, that's on average $92,500 per missionary (per year?).Taking the first 3 general types of unreached groups together (Western, Tribal/Animist, Other Buddhists), that's 500 million people being served by 43,700 missionaries. That's approximately 1 missionary for every 11,400 people, and over $4 billion (per year?) being given to reach the first 3 general types of unreached groups - about $8.08 per unreached person.
Taking the second 3 general types of unreached groups together (Chinese, Hindu, Muslim), that's 2.2 billion people being served by 4,500 missionaries. That's approximately 1 missionary for every 488,900 people, and only $416,250 (per year?) being given to reach the second 3 general types of unreached groups - about $0.19 (19 cents) per unreached person.
I've never broken down the numbers like this before, but I think the effect is truly crushing. The discrepancy is huge, mind boggling! When I see these numbers, it literally makes me want to cry.
I know though that hope is not lost because there are many, many good missionary organizations out there that are striving to reach the remaining unreached people groups of the world.
Here are a few missions organizations that actively seek out unreached people groups to take the love and reality of Christ to:
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of these statistics.
What can we do to mobilize (young) Great Commission Christians to reach unreached people groups?
Any ideas why so much of the global money in the hands of GCC's goes to the West? Or why so little money and people go to the unreached?
Do you know of a trend where these numbers are no longer accurate? Have things changed so that progress is being made?
What ways can you help the situation?
